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Sarah Bernhardt Peony

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'Sarah Bernhardt' is a beloved Peony with large double flowers in fresh, pastel pink. Introduced in 1906, this longtime favorite blooms dependably year after year and presents a healthy amount of emerald green foliage to add interest to the garden throughout the season. Also known for its fragrance, 'Sarah Bernhardt' makes a great cut flower - try it in arrangements or float it all by itself in a simple bowl. Like all peonies, this one is deer resistant, cold hardy and extremely long-lived. (Paeonia lactiflora)

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Plant Information

34-36" tall x 24-36" wide. Like their namesake, the legendary stage actress, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ Peony is steeped in poise and elegance. Luxurious layers of ruffled petals make for dramatic blossoms. ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ holds its showy blooms atop sturdy stems, lending an air of sophistication to the garden. The famously fragrant flowers attract a host of pollinators and are a favorite of bees. Peonies produce large, rounded clumps perfect for mixed beds and shrub borders and provide a stunning backdrop to low-growing spring bulbs and ephemeral wildflowers. Peonies can live over 100 years, so take time to plant them properly. Identify a sunny location and set the tubers just one to two inches below the soil surface with the buds or “eyes” pointing up. The extra effort will be rewarded with years of blooms.

Growing Peonies: If you live where peonies grow, its the same every year in late spring. Certain homes have them in beds, borders, along drives--and anywhere they grow, they create probably the most beautiful clump of flowering of the whole season. Big, usually fluffy flowers in glossy green foliage.

Perennial peonies are what experienced gardeners call investment plants. They're some of the most permanent landscaping you can buy. In fact, many continue blooming beautifully for over 100 years. Once they're established, they're as hardy and dependable as oaks, creating a fantastic season of bloom in your yard year after year.

Planting Peonies Adding peonies to your garden is not difficult. All you need is full sun and good soil. (In even partial shade, the bloom will be scant or non-existent--keep them out in the sun!) As most gardeners know, the roots look like a bunch of carrots--thick long tapering tuber-like masses that increase every year. Feed them, water them, and the clumps will expand rapidly, and more and more blooms will result.

Types of peonies: The standard perennial peony species is Paeonia lactiflora but within the species, there are thousands of hybrids old and new. And there are several flower types:Single Peonies are the huge, wide-open ones with just one row of overlapping petals. Like huge poppies, they create dinnerplate-size beauty that's really unmatched in the garden. The singles are less frequently seen in American gardens because of our passion for petals-people just prefer the doubles. One of the most famous singles is the breathtaking Krinkled White, an old classic and still a big favorite. Japanese Peonies, not to be confused with Tree Peonies which often come from Japan, is a flower form somewhat similar to the singles, but with a more elaborate center. A great example is the big favorite, stunning Bowl of Beauty, with glistening cherry red petals petals plus fluffy yellow center, creating spectacular color contrast.Semi-double Peonies are just that. They have the basic bottom row of large petals seen on the singles (often called the guard petals), but on top, there are more shorter petals, developing from the center. A great example is the beautiful red Edulis Superba.Bomb Peonies are the ones with the guard petals flat and large, with a pile of petaling sitting upon them-sort of like a fluffly snowball sitting on a plate. Some of the most-loved and dramatic peonies are bombs including the magnificent Laura Dessert and the dramatic Raspberry Sundae As these two illustrate, there are bombs of various shapes and sizes. With Raspberry Sundae, the large bomb not only adds size and height, it gives the overall bloom a stunning palette of three colors-white guard petals, a collar of yellow, and then pastel pink making up the center. In Laura Dessert, the coloring is all white, with a hint of lemon yellow in the bomb. Double Peonies are probably the most popular, and the most widely planted. Excellent examples are the famous Victorian introduction, Festiva Maxima with its snowy white flowers with red flecks, and Sarah Bernhardt, the all-time popular double pink with huge flowers and great fragrance. Other popular doubles are the red Karl Rosenfield and white Shirley Temple.

There's really no end to a gardeners pleasure with peonies. They're all good for cutting. The foliage stays glossy and green all summer long, and they attract almost no pests. (Don't confuse the standard perennial peony with the Tree Peony, a separate group. Tree Peonies are more shrub like, and don't die down completely each winter.)

Staking: This is important, since once a peony is established, the heavy flowers are often too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down in the mud. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring. With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale. Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open. Where to find Peony Rings? GardenersSupply.com has great ones which I've used, and I recommend them.

Planting & Care

Planting Peonies

Adding peonies to your garden is easy. Plant in full sun in most regions. In colder regions, planting peonies in shade will result in weak stems and less flowers. In warmer regions or where spring is hot and dry, choose a site with afternoon shade. Plant in average or well-draining loamy soil. Peonies prefer soil that provide moisture, but isn’t water logged. Add compost if needed before planting.

Planting Steps for Herbaceous and Intersectional (Itoh) Peonies

Choose a site with well-drained soil away from any competing roots. Peonies thrive if left to grow undisturbed in the same location for years.

Dig a hole 12" wide and the length of the roots. This is the time to add any compost in the bottom of the hole. Plant the roots 1" to 2" below the soil level with the eyes (buds) pointing up. If you are planting more than one, plant 2-3 feet apart to allow enough space. If planted to deep, the peony will lack blossoms. Visit our planting guide for a detailed description

Slowly back-fill around the roots, not allowing any air pockets, adding pressure to compact the soil.

Once planted, gently water around the plant. Add a light mulch or chopped leaves to reduce weeds and to regulate soil temperature and moisture. Water every day for 5 days in the morning or evening, unless it rains or there is lots of moisture. Be sure not to over water, as the roots will rot.

Planting Tree Peonies

Planting tree peonies is different than herbaceous and intersectional itoh peonies.

Choose a site with well-drained soil away from any competing roots. Tree peonies thrive if left to grow undisturbed in the same location for years.

Dig a hole the length of the roots roughly 2 feet deep and dig it wide enough to accommodate the roots with some room to grow, roughly 1 foot wide. This is the time to add any compost in the bottom of the hole. If you are planting more than one, plant 2-3 feet apart to allow enough space.

Slowly back-fill around the roots, not allowing any air pockets, adding pressure to compact the soil.

Once planted, gently water around the plant. Water when needed, the best practice is when the soil has dried out and or it hasn't rained. Tree peonies need water to generate root growth, but if over watered, they will rot.

Aftercare

The first year of growing peonies, expect the roots to products 2-5 leave shoots and 1-2 flowers. Year two brings a plant double the size and double the blossoms. By the fourth or fifth year peonies will be full and bushy, with lots of foliage and blossoms.

Staking

Itoh and tree peonies don't require staking, but most herbaceous peony once established, produce heavy flowers that often are too heavy for its stems. You don't have to stake them, but if you don't, you're going to have big beautiful flowers nodding down. So once you have a healthy clump, use peony rings to keep them upright. The rings are simply wheel-like wire arrangements that stand up over the peony like a little wire table as the plant sprouts in the spring. With upright supports, the peony ring is placed so the shoots will grow up through the round wire bale. Of course, the foliage quickly hides the ring, and you have a beautifully-supported clump well before the flowers open. Where to find Peony Rings? We recommend Gardeners Supply.

Pruning/Trimming

For herbaceous and (itoh) intersectional peonies after blooms have passed, clip expired blooms down to the where the foliage meets the stem. Leave the foliage for the remainder of the growing season. As fall arrive and temperatures cool, the leaves will turn yellow and then wilt. For herbaceous peonies trim back all foliage to about 3" from the ground. This keeps the plant tidy and allows new growth to come up without damaging it. In the fall itoh peonies need to be treated similar to herbaceous and tree peonies since they are a hybrid of both. Once the plant has matured its best to trim back so that the herbaceous portion of the stem is removed and the hard wood portion remains. Its best to leave the peonies alone in there first year of growing so that you tell the difference between the herbaceous green stem from the hard wood portion as the leaves die back. Usually mature itoh peonies will leave 4-5 inches of hard wood above ground.

Tree peonies require different trimming techniques. Cut the stem just below the expired blooms. If you trim the stem to far, it will hinder next year's growth. This years green shoots will become next years woody branch. So in the fall, do not trim back or cut to the ground, leave the shrub as is. If you have a mature tree peony and it needs shaping, the best time to prune, is right after it blooms. Make sure to not take to much off the tree as it can really hurt the shrub.

Fertilizer

Peonies don’t need to be fertilized every year. Its best to plant them with plenty of nutrients. Apply bonemeal, compost or well-rotted manure in early summer, after peonies have bloomed every couple of years.

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This Sarah Bernhardt took 3 years to bloom, and on my 4th year I had so many blooms I cut many to bring inside. My peonies (and most of my plants) are on a hill, so they tend to lay down, and I did not buy the best supports for them. Next year, will have the large ones as these flowers are HUGE and do droop onto ground. The flowers are 5-6 inches wide!

Planted day after receiving last October. Small amount of growth noted shortly after, then died back during winter. April now and have very healthy-looking plants already 12" high and approximately 12" in diameter. I'm very pleased and I'm fully expecting these peonies to do well in the coming years

We planted as directed on the day received, and nothing ever grew~! So sad, peonies are one of my favorite flowers~!!

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Personal

Bottom LineNo, I would not recommend this to a friend

Merchant response: Our apologies that the Peony Sarah Bernhardt has not been successful. Although these perennials would not be expected to bloom until the 2nd and successive years they certainly still should have shown some healthy green growth for you. We would never want you to pay for something that you didn't have a chance to enjoy, that is why we have our 100% guarantee. We truly want our customers to be successful with our products and pleased with our customer service. Please contact us so that we may assist you with a solution. Happy Gardening!

Doing very poorly. When I received them, my other established peony bushes were already up and in full bloom. Still only about 4 inches tall now in August. I'm hopeful they will do better next spring.

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Personal

Merchant response: I am sorry to hear that thus far the Peony Sarah Bernhardt has not been successful. We would never want you to pay for something that you didn't have a chance to enjoy, that is why we have our 100% guarantee. We truly want our customers to be successful with our products and pleased with our customer service. Please contact us so that we may assist you with a solution. Happy Gardening!

I planted in the fall near another peony start-up. The one I received from a relative is doing great and will flower (I planted near the same time as the one from American Meadows). The peony from American Meadows did throw up a few small shoots, so at least I know it is alive. I was told it may take a year or two to flower, but the other new peony is going full force now. I will have to see next year how it does.

Bottom LineNo, I would not recommend this to a friend

Merchant response: We do apologize that the Peony Sarah Bernhardt has not met your expectations. It is typical of our Peonies to spend the 1st year showing healthy green growth with blooms the 2nd and successive years. We are committed to our customers success and stand behind all of our products with our 100% guarantee. Please contact us at your convenience and we will be more than happy to go over some resolution options with you. Happy Gardening!

Bought 10/13, planted as soon as it arrived, saw tiny bit of foliage last year....this year i see it's little red tips sprouting up already! I was afraid it wouldn't come back after the two hard winters in a row.Here's hoping for bigger foliage & blooms next year!

Peonies are my favorite flower - so when we bought our first home last year, I knew I needed to plant some. I was a little nervous though - I am new to gardening, and I had read that peonies can be fussy about where they are planted. Nevertheless, I took the plunge and ordered three Sarah Bernhardt tubers.

They came in beautifully plump and with plenty of growth eyes - well packaged and ready to go. I planted two of them at the entrance to my walkway up to the house, surrounded by tulips and daffodils (also from american meadows) - full sun and good drainage. The third I was a little more nervous about, as the only spot I had available was in dappled light on the north side of the property.

Well, I shouldn't have worried - all three are growing well, beautiful crimson shoots are getting taller by the day! The one in the shade is a little behind, but I expected that since it gets less sun. Can't wait for year two when I will get some blooms!

This is my mothers favorite flower and I ordered the bare roots for her to plant in front of her home as a Mother's Day gift. My mother is a full time Nurse Practitioner and has very little time to devote to gardening. With little work the plants are growing beautifully.

I ordered two and planted them according to the instructions. These are not my first peonies, so I know what I'm doing. I have carefully sited them and ensured they had adequate water. One is virtually dead and the other is headed that way. I'm very unhappy with the product.

Bottom LineNo, I would not recommend this to a friend

Merchant response: We sincerely apologize that our Sarah Bernhardt Peony did not meet your expectations. There are many variables in gardening but we are committed to your success and stand behind all our products with our 100% guarantee. Please contact us so that we may assist you with a solution. Happy Gardening!

I have a peony bed with 50 peony bushes in it and I used the roots I ordered to start a new one. The new peony area is covered in decorative rock with petrified wood scattered in the bed and a bird bath. The bushes are just beautiful. The price was the best I have ever found for that quality of root.

Well, it's hard to grow peonies in our area, especially in such a hot summer as this year's. This one at least sprouted and did not die, so I'm expecting it to grow and may be even to bloom in 3-5 years.

This peony plant sits in the hot sun on my deck in the summer. During the winter time I placed it under my patio table and it made it through the snowy winter in good shape. It is starting to come up now and is growing fast. I can't wait for the beautiful blooms to appear.